Will.i.am created another video with the help of Hollywood breeders for Obama. It is sort of nice to to see a musician actively supporting a candidate rather than just asking them to stop playing their songs.
Archive for February 2008
Gucci Hearts NY. NY Isn’t That Into You.
In Uncategorized on February 29, 2008 at 11:59 amGuest post from The Navigatrix…
To announce the opening of their new recession-be-damned 46,000 square foot 5th Avenue flagship, Gucci unveiled a line of products using the iconic (and copyrighted) I [Heart] NY logo including, yes, paper coffee cups to be given out by street vendors. Sigh…. I first saw this campaign over the weekend (on the back of a New Yorker no less, where it just looked so… wrong).
Really Gucci, really? I heart NY too but this makes my eyes bleed. From what I can gather, proceeds from all (big dubious eyebrow raise on “all”) products go to Playground Partners of the Central Park Conservancy, which is great, but still doesn’t excuse the awfulness of this collection.
Jones Soda Quietly Expands Product Line
In Branding, Brands, communications, marketing on February 29, 2008 at 11:04 am
I was chatting with the checkout guy at Whole Foods last night when he commented on the poor package design of many of their products. He’s right, of course. It seems like a lot of brands in the organic and health space are playing off the same basic design template and using each other as inspiration. The majority of them feel handmade, crafty, healthful and all-natural but they also feel a lot like each other.
Jones24c stood out as an exception. The folks at Jones Soda have quietly extended into vitamin-enhanced water to better compete with the various water+ products in the market, but they’ve taken it a step further with powdered offerings. Not only is this new idea more environmentally friendly than plastic bottles, the packaging is minimalist and beautifully designed.
Bold colors and font help the consumer navigate the flavor offerings and stand out on the shelf against the more craft feel of EmergenC and its ilk. Nice work. Now it’s up to the rest of the supermarket to keep up with the Jones’s.
Why Politics is More Fun Than Corp. Marketing
In Brands, Political Strategy, Politics, communications, marketing, strategy on February 29, 2008 at 10:22 amThe thing that so entices me about politics is that politicians are hyper-aware that someone is going to lose. Several people, in fact, and quickly. They play the game knowing that for them to win they have to knock out the other guy without maiming themselves in the process.
Conventional marketers seem to be in the game to win enough market share or cool points to keep playing. They don’t appear to be thinking about what it would take to knock the other brand out of the race. Positioning themselves as the best brand and depositioning the competition as well as possible doesn’t seem to be the goal.
We’ve reached a point of collusion in the political race where Hillary and John McCain see Obama as a threat to both of them. HRC and McCain both have a better chance against each other at this point than either have against Obama so it makes sense for them to do the full court press to ensure that he doesn’t make it past this round. But should the former two frenemies both make it to the next round, what will happen when Hillary’s attacks on Obama have wound up bolstering McCain’s position?
And in relation to this ad, who goes to bed in a pants suit and eyeglasses? HRC is your answer to that one, apparently.
And That’s Why They Call It AdWeak
In Uncategorized on February 28, 2008 at 3:11 pm
It seems like everyone from Agency Spy to Gawker is announcing Crispin’s win of the Microsoft business. A coup for sure but why aren’t the industry rags jumping on the bandwagon already? Do they know something that we don’t or are they just slow to the party? If it’s the latter someone should go ahead and tell them the party has moved and they aren’t invited.
Sometimes Focus Groups Make You Cry
In Uncategorized on February 28, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Just finished a round of focus groups in NYC and Houston for a client. This is what greeted me in Houston. I guess Opinions Unlimited was just too tempting but luckily it wasn’t ominous for the project.
Crispin and Burger King Think Everyone is in on the Joke
In Brands, advertising, agency, communications, marketing on February 26, 2008 at 9:48 am
That’s really the only way I can explain this billboard that I saw today in NY. The text reads, “Silly Whopper That’s a Big Mac Box.” Obviously a follow up to their WhopperFreakout work, but last I checked the campaign isn’t on the top of everyone’s minds and people have better things to do than recall campaigns and try to link them together.
I enjoyed the strategy and execution behind the original work but I think this overestimates the power and reach of the campaign and only serves to remind customers that there are alternatives to the Whopper.
P&G Learns To Loosen Up
In Brands, Consumers, communications, marketing on February 22, 2008 at 1:18 pmEd Cotton over at Influx Insights has a well thought out piece about the transformation of P&G’s advertising and their shift from a top down authoritative marketer to one that isn’t afraid to mix it up and create a debate. The only thing that I may be able to add to his points is that I think there’s a culture shift at P&G that has also permeated it’s product development and innovation pipeline in a nice way. They’ve gotten more adept at taking risks and bringing in brands and products that seem to hit real consumer needs.
In the meantime, this Folgers ad has me running to hide under the covers. Watch and you’ll know what I mean.
Marketers Should Not Go To Confession
In Brands, Consumers, communications, marketing on February 22, 2008 at 11:39 am
What is the deal with this rampant brand and marketing transparency? It’s starting to feel like bamboo shoots under my fingernails and I don’t like it.
Today’s example comes from the otherwise just fine folks at Thomas’ English Muffins. Hearty Nooks…Tasty Crannies, that’s all I ask for in an English Muffin. Curious about the ellipses but no matter. What really gets me going is the new phrase “now with NO high fructose corn syrup.”
What are you trying to accomplish here Thomas? (I hope you don’t mind if I call you Thomas.) I can think of only one rationale for this language and that would be if you wanted press as a changer of food health. But you don’t. I think you just wanted to say “NO high fructose corn syrup,” right? That’s the point, that other people use high fructose corn syrup and you don’t. So why did you have to run around like a saved man after an exorcism and tell the world that you used to use high fructose corn syrup? All it does is make me regret eating you in the first place.
My Love Of The Circus
In photo on February 21, 2008 at 12:24 pmI never really wanted to run away with the circus when I was a kid. I think my town was too small to get the proper circus exposure in my blood. And by the time I was older, circuses and fairs started to look sadder than they were ever intended to. Slipshod to the point that you’re nervous about the ferris wheel and think that the Ring of Death may actually be from a newspaper article from the future rather than just a colorful name.
I’ve still remained fascinated by their blatant contradiction though. All florescent and smiley in the big ring and drug-addled and alcohol-slurred behind the curtains. Until I’m invited backstage, I’ll be obsessed with taking pictures of the front of the house. Here are a few of them that I’ve taken while on various trips around the world….
Hillary’s Last Stand
In Political Strategy, Politics on February 20, 2008 at 1:50 pm
The Caucus ran an interesting piece today on Hillary’s campaign and the strategies that are taking shape for her last stand in Texas and Ohio. They mostly read like more of the same plus some fighting.
A sample:
I’m an Obama supporter through and through, but regardless, I hate to see bad strategy. Hillary’s campaign manager seems to be telling her to double down, that it’s now or never and to add some harsher criticism to the mix. The rub is that if she loses even one of these states she’s also going to erode her remaining goodwill with the Democratic party and come off looking rather petty come the convention. Not to mention that the Hillary campaign has already started to go negative and if anything, Obama has seemed to come out above it all.
Looking back to the Hillary Tear in NH, mentioned in a previous post, the real momentum gained from that moment came from her really articulating why she wanted the job. That it wasn’t just politics to her and it wasn’t just about winning. The tear got all the press but it was the message that she was in it for the voters, not for her own self-interest, that stuck. If I were looking for an answer on Hillary’s long quiet plane rides, that’s where I would look. Give voters a real chance to decide who is better equipped, add in some of that emotion, and if it doesn’t go her way then take a slow step backward and preserve the Clinton brand.
No, I’m Not Going to Meet You at the Races
In Consumers, communications, marketing on February 19, 2008 at 12:51 pm
When did personals sites become so niche it hurts? I understood the basic concept once upon a time. There were Yahoo and Match for normal-ish people. eHarmony if you already had a wedding date picked out and just needed a partner for the ceremony. Nerve and Lavalife if you wanted to test drive the car before you purchased. JDate if you were Jewish and Craigslist if you were desperate.
Well, now we have Meetmeattheraces which when you string it together has the phrase “meet meat” in it (he, he, he). It’s the first dating site dedicated to people who love motor sports and all things beer coozy. I suppose it takes some of the awkwardness out of asking someone out to Nascar on the first date but seriously, it’s killing me. At what point do you just put up a website with a big flashing “available” on it?
The Blog Speaks the Truth
In Uncategorized on February 19, 2008 at 12:20 pm
It’s rare to for me to dedicate an entire love post to another blogger’s work. As a blogger, I do have a certain amount of pride and self-induced pressure to generate interesting, provocative and not awful work. But as a strategist and observer of culture I have to give a shout out to Stuff White People Like. It’s already a top blog on WordPress so it’s not exactly a secret, but it does have the secret sauce.
Well-written and without a trace of irony, it successfully sends up a lot of things that white people hold so dear. Especially middle- to upper-class white people who live in urban environments. Who can argue that white people don’t love expensive sandwiches?
Tide And Saatchi Want Stains To Talk
In Branding, Brands, Consumers, agency, communications, marketing on February 19, 2008 at 12:11 pmIn my opinion, one of the more under-appreciated spots of the Super Bowl was Tide’s Talking Stain, produced by Saatchi. A great strategic ad that focused (and made customers focus) on a real problem. Stains say a lot about you and in certain situations they do all the talking.
This is one occasion where I wish that the campaign would have stopped with traditional media. Some nice television, outdoor, maybe a radio campaign with only the gobbledygook of a talking stain for 10 seconds followed by the sell. But alas, they didn’t ask me, so they didn’t stop. They’ve launched a campaign asking users to submit their own talking stains (Monica Lewinsky are you listening?) as well as a site to download ringtones, screensavers, etc. And yes, a colleague did download the ringtone and it is annoying as all get out. Go ahead and knock yourself out here.
An Example of Being Green Making Green
In Brands, Consumers, communications, innovation, marketing, strategy on February 15, 2008 at 4:43 pm
This post follows on the heels of a great comment on my earlier post Bookmarks Are For People Who Hate Money. Why do magazines keep printing subscription cards for magazines that you already subscribe to? Is there really no way to separate the books that go to the newsstand from the ones that go to your mailbox?
Well, it appears that at least the team at Outside magazine has figured out a way to stop sending subscribers 10 free bookmarks every month. And by eliminating these blow-in subscription cards they estimate that they will “eliminate the printing of 20 million subscription cards… [saving] an estimated 1,500 trees.” Not to mention the nuisance to readers who have to pick them up off the subway floor when they fall out.
But worry not, newsstand readers, you’ll still get free bookmarks.
San Pellegrino Package Design
In Brands, Design, innovation on February 15, 2008 at 3:09 pm
When I was last in Italy I managed to take a bad picture of a good package redesign. San Pellegrino accomplished a couple of things with this one.
In retail shops that have a cooler under the bar the packaging is gorgeous and looks like it does in the picture. By branding the top of the can it is easier to see and identify when the product is laying on its side, and actually makes it your first choice since it is the product that you see first. To see other options you have to crouch down to look in the cooler.
Secondly, the top metal seal pulls off to reveal a normal ring tab which successfully makes the whole product feel fresher and more juice-like instead of like flavored water.
Not sure of the design agency on this one, but I do like the work.
Demonstrating Interview Bias And American Stupidity
In Uncategorized on February 14, 2008 at 11:18 am
Nobody Brings Me Breakfast In Bed…
In Uncategorized on February 12, 2008 at 3:16 pmFor all you math whizzes out there, I now break down the formula to making this video at home…
(1 Dick in a Box X 1 Wake up with the King) + Honey Bunches of Oats = this video.
hat tip to agency spy
Bookmarks Are For People That Hate Money
In Uncategorized on February 11, 2008 at 3:40 pm
I’m not sure how much money the bookmark industry brings in these days. I actually tried a brief search but the term “bookmark” has been co-oped by everyone in technology. My question is: why on earth do people pay for bookmarks anyway? I almost understand beautiful ones like the image attached but these are made of brushed stainless steel!?! Is that really necessary or even prudent?
The purpose of a bookmark is to mark your page in a book, yes? Perhaps people also use them to remind themselves that they are rich, appreciate beautiful design, or want to be constantly asked WWJD but I’m not so sure. I think the entire bookmark industry is a conspiracy against our good sense.
I’ll keep using a trusty dollar bill as my bookmark…because after all, it’s still cheaper than a bookmark.
Polaroid Fades To Black
In Brands, Consumers, photo on February 11, 2008 at 11:26 am
The Washington Post announced today that Polaroid is shuttering its factories…
“Polaroid, based in Waltham, Mass., is shutting down factories in the United States and abroad as the company abandons the technology that made the instant photo possible, the Boston Globe reported yesterday. The company will cease production of its film by next year.”
This essentially means that I have to start stocking up now. Polaroids, while environmentally unfriendly, are little bits of pleasure to me. Whether by livening up a party or bringing smiles to the faces of kids I meet in places like Ivory Coast, Polaroids have long been a big part of my photographic life. Somehow printed snapshots just don’t do justice to the spontaneity of life captured through the plastic lens.
This Doesn’t Make Any Sense!
In Uncategorized on February 10, 2008 at 7:44 pm
According to 60 Minutes they can’t find anyone under 60 who wants to work there. Except for Katie Couric, but is there anywhere Katie Couric won’t work?
In other news, do you know that it takes 2 cents to make every penny and 10 cents to make every nickel? How much does this account for our deficit? Probably not as much as the two wars we’re in but still…
Embracing Failure
In Uncategorized on February 8, 2008 at 9:41 am
While in Italy for an ideation last week, we did a group exercise that examined our individual fears. As we went around the group, one fear came up again and again: the fear of failure.
We are all prone to fail, but few of us are ever able to create a place safe enough to admit the fear of failing, or harder still, admit past failures. As a manager, I see this most often with young employees who want to sweep their failures under the rug before anyone notices them. Although, in truth, I’m equally guilty of celebrating my successes rather than my failures. It comes down to how we want to be perceived. We are always afraid that moments of weakness will come to define us in the eyes of others.
I think Fridays are a good day to reflect on the week. To put down on paper all the successes we’ve had in the past week and then all the failures. Not to self-justify them or put them on other people, but rather to own up to things that, had we done them better, would have lead to a different outcome.
After that you should go over to The Fail Blog and realize that your life isn’t so bad.
Today’s Lesson In Interviewing
In Uncategorized on February 7, 2008 at 2:29 pmToo many people are coming into interviews unprepared these days.
Him: “What does your agency do?”
Me: “Wow, we have a pretty porous prescreening process lately. Don’t you have the Internet?”
Him: “Yes, I’m on Facebook all the time.”
It’s time we reverted back to the old fashioned interviewing method. You vs. Sea Monkeys. If you win, come back and we’ll talk.
Putting It On Paper
In Design, communications on February 7, 2008 at 9:35 am
I became a big fan of Wil Freeborn after discovering his work a couple of months ago. His images remind me of dreams I’ve had where images are frozen in my mind yet full of life, like a game of Jumanji minus Robin Williams. That’s a long-winded way of saying I like them.
You can check out more over drawings at his site, ghostschool.
Is It Just Me…
In Uncategorized on February 7, 2008 at 8:56 am
or do you sometimes realize that the general population has been a bit slow to this whole environmental movement?
A Complaint About Hold Music
In advertising, agency, communications, strategy on February 6, 2008 at 9:56 am
I started my day yesterday by sitting on the phone for 20 minutes waiting for some clients who never showed up to the conference call. This was a painful reminder of how bad the conference call experience is.
I get it, the communication companies have invested money in the infrastructure that’s important, namely crisp, clear calls for low prices. But now that we’ve passed that phase of differentiation, can I get some choices on what kind of music I can listen to? Nothing says “we value you as a partner” like making me listen to Muzak for 20 minutes. How hard would it really be to offer me the option of pressing 1 for classical, 2 for pop, 3 for country western?
Oh, and the second part. Can people please start showing up to conference calls on time? “It fell off my calendar” is the new “my dog ate my homework.”
Designing The Future
In Uncategorized on February 5, 2008 at 11:38 amWhenever I try to do a Rubik’s Cube I end up with some stupid color on the wrong side and no good way to get it to its home. Not so for the kids at W+K London or the engineers at Honda. No sir, they are smart.
hat tip to shape+color
Innovations That Work
In Uncategorized on February 5, 2008 at 9:30 am
Innovation is tough work for any company or product designer. How do you take something that works fairly well and find a way to make it work in some way better? This is a perfect example of how to do just that. I look forward to the days that I can sit outside after a rainy morning and take in the beauty of a city recently washed.
Hat tip to swissmiss and the designers over at Yanko Design.
Why Do We Buy Apple Computers?
In advertising on February 4, 2008 at 4:51 pmAh, yes, I just remembered. I buy Apple computers so I can take my bike and my dog to my creative job where I stir up envy among my co-workers by wearing my sweater around my neck like Kevin Costner in this old Apple ad. Whew, that was an intimate moment of self-reflection.
We’ve Got A Lot Of Common Sense To Deliver
In Uncategorized on February 4, 2008 at 12:46 pmWhy does my television turn into Animal Planet every time a Super Bowl commercial comes on? As I ponder this, enjoy a nice advertising send-up by Miller High Life.
Some Days I Want To Be A Client
In Uncategorized on February 4, 2008 at 11:36 am
As a strategist, when you work on a project, you take it in your arms and really try to care for it like the conscientious brand steward you are. You do the customer research, you look at the market and the trends. You create the positioning, the message. You work with product designers to provide guidance and then, finally, you get to a point where you set the boat out to sail into the great, wide ocean. Then one day you find an advertisement for the product and brand that you helped shape and you wonder where it went wrong. My only solace is that this is an ad in Singapore.
Hat tip to Copyranter for finding the ad and making me a very sad strategist.
Obama Has His Designs on the Presidency
In Uncategorized on February 4, 2008 at 10:52 am
The artist Shepard Fairey has endorsed Barak Obama. While this is about as insignificant as it gets, it warms my heart to see some beautiful work come out of a political campaign that isn’t trying to sell the Chevy trucks version of America.
Article in Creativity here.
Tab Promotes Brainwashing
In Branding, Brands, advertising, communications, marketing on February 4, 2008 at 10:31 amWhat exactly is going on here in this Tab commercial? Is it just blatant sexism or is there something more sinister at work like mind control or direct translation from a Japanese ad? Mind-sticker, really? I think someone was sniffing the mind-sticker glue.
found at Agency Tart
Getting Back to Business
In Uncategorized on February 2, 2008 at 12:04 pm
And I’m back. I’ll fill you in on the trip on Monday.
